1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical media systems and more specifically relates to activating optical media devices that have a conditional access capability such as an optical shutter system.
2. Related Art
It is often desirable for commercial, security and privacy reasons for certain conditions to be met before content stored in media such as optical discs can be accessed. An example is a security scheme that requires the user to enter a password before they can access the content stored on a compact disc (“CD”). Another example is a rental scheme that conditions access to a movie stored on a digital versatile disc (“DVD”) upon receipt of payment by the rental company at a remote location.
With conventional media, conditional access schemes are effectuated external to the media by a host device such as a personal computer (“PC”). The password in a security scheme for CDs for example is typically entered into a software application hosted on a PC, and it is the application which affects the ability to access the content either through control of the optical drive in the PC, or in the method used to decode the content. In neither case does the CD itself participate in effectuating the conditional access; it is always readable.
Conventional systems that rely on external devices for effectuating conditional access are comparatively easy to breach. Moreover, they add complexity, cost and undesirable burdens on the user because they require that the device used to consume the content has the capability to effectuate the conditional access scheme. That means that conditional access depends on devices like personal computers and can not be effectuated by conventional CD or DVD players.
New types of media are emerging that incorporate the ability to effectuate conditional access to the content stored within them. An example is an optical disc incorporating an electro-optic film that changes in response to an external signal in ways that affect the interrogating laser's ability to access the content stored within (e.g. it switches from clear to opaque).
Therefore, the introduction of new media with conditional access capabilities has created a need in the industry for an inexpensive and simple to operate apparatus to effectuate the conditional access features of these new forms of media. Furthermore, it is desirable that such an apparatus be separate from the device used to consume the media content. It is also highly desirable that such an apparatus be able to effectuate conditional access schemes involving remote and/or third parties.